UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs Arlovski - May 8th

[Guy Bifkin]

Haha, I'll have to check this out. I watched the fight this morning before work but I turned it off in huff after Machida got battered again and never bothered with the post fight stuff. 

[d-d-d-dAz]

He was absolutely, definitely on about the equal marriage ruling. Even IF he said 'forget', not 'for gay', that was clearly the aim of his rant.

 

The weird backtracking since is clearly a result of a Dana-sized ticking off.

 

Personally, I think they should run with it and have Romero/Weidman as a Sheikh/Hogan type main event. Run with it as much as possible.

[wandshogun09]

Ha. Seriously though, I'm massively intrugued by the prospect of Weidman vs Romero. I'd pick Weidman because I think he's just that bit more polished all-round but, man, what a handful Romero is in the cage. What would happen if Weidman was getting lit up on the feet by Romero, for example? Would he be able to even take Romero down? Weidman is an animal but he's never really had to face someone he couldn't outwrestle. Just on that basis alone I'd be hugely into that fight. And of course, the Hogan vs Sheikybaby aspect.

[ColinBollocks]

Fun show. While Romero's views on gay marriage are regretable (although not surprising), it was a great showing.

 

Hopefully this isn't the point of Machida's career where age has finally zapped him of his powers.

[wandshogun09]

Yeah I don't know what to make of Machida.

 

On the one hand, you have to look at the opposition he's facing. I mean, fighting Rockhold and Romero within a two month window probably isn't a good idea, is it? But then we're talking about a guy who once had that 'unbeatable' aura himself. There was a time when opponents couldn't even lay a glove on him much less beat him. There was a time where if someone even landed a punch on Machida you'd be surprised. Now he's getting battered in back to back fights and we're not even that shocked. Seeing Machida lose has become a more normal thing.

 

I still really rate him. Especially at 185. But I think the days of hoping for another title run out of him are over. There's very few fighters who will be able to do to Machida what Romero did Saturday night. Machida beats the vast majority of the division comfortably IMO. But I don't see him ever getting past that top 3 or 4 in the division now sadly.

 

Machida is probably just heading for that 'fun fight' stage of his career that all the big names find themselves in when their days as a title threat come to an end. There's still plenty of fights to make if he wants them. Machida vs Bisping down the line could be good. Machida vs Belfort. He could even go back up to 205 for the Shogun rubber match. Maybe rematch Rampage to avenge that loss. There's name fights out there for sure. I just think the title picture, at both 185 and 205, has moved on. Guys like Machida, Shogun, Belfort have missed their window now IMO. 185 is all about Weidman, Rockhold, Jacare and Romero. 205 is all about Cormier, Gustafsson, Rumble and Jones when he returns. There's no room at the top for legends who might have lost a step. It's a ruthless sport.

[lambyUK]

Unfortunately for Machida, he's been 'worked out' so to speak. Everyone is now using Shogun's approach of simply putting pressure on him and closing the distance, and if you can get him down, then he's fucked. 

 

Rockhold and Romero are both huge guys too, so from a power perspective Machida didn't have a chance. 

 

In relation to Romero, his post fight promo really is a fucking downer. If it wasn't for that, the whole MMA world would have been absolutely buzzing for him. That display was just flat out scary as hell. He battered and destroyed Machida, and on his day, I think Romero truly beats everyone in the middleweight division. If think Weidman will even struggle against his power. 

[wandshogun09]

The next UFC show is the TUF: ATT vs Blackzilians finale on the 12th July. But we've got a thread for that TUF on here (haven't we?) so I figured it was probably best to leave the TUF finale discussion for that thread. Safer with the spoilers too I guess, for those watching that show.

 

With the next two Fight Nights being just three days apart, I've just lumped them together so we don't overlook one of them. Both pretty good little cards, as it happens.

 

First up, it's a Wednesday Fight Night on July 15th...

 

 

FOX SPORTS 1 MAIN CARD

Frank Mir vs Todd Duffee

Josh Thomson vs Tony Ferguson

Holly Holm vs Marion Reneau

Scott Jorgensen vs Manny Gamburyan

Kevin Lee vs James Moontasri

Alan Jouban vs Matt Dwyer

 

FOX SPORTS 1 PRELIMS

Sam Sicilia vs Yaotzin Meza

Jessica Andrade vs Sarah Moras

Rani Yahya vs Masenori Kanehara

Igor Araujo vs Sean Strickland

 

FIGHT PASS PRELIMS

Kevin Casey vs Ildemar Alcantara

Andrew Craig vs Lyman Good

 

I actually really like this card. Hadn't even looked it up until now and didn't realise how good it was.

 

 

Mir vs Duffee isn't a fight I'm in love with but I'd be very surprised if it's not short and violent. It could be shit if it goes past two rounds because neither are cardio freaks. But I can't see it going long enough to get crap. Duffee's too powerful on the feet, Mir's too dangerous on the ground and neither are super durable. Someone's getting knocked out or tapped out.

 

 

One of those rare times where the MMA injury epidemic actually improves a card. Melendez vs Iaquinta is the real main event of this one for me. Way more interesting and exciting than the original Iaquinta vs Bobby Green fight IMO. Both are stupidly aggressive and it's a real step up for Raging Al. Onè I'm not convinced he's ready for but it'll be fun to watch play out. Melendez is taking this on a mega quick turnaround too. Fought Eddie Alvarez just two weeks ago now he's jumping straight back in with a younger rising contender in Iaquinta.

 

 

Thomson vs Ferguson is another possible show stealer. High hopes for this, providing Thomson actually stays in one piece long enough for it to happen. Ferguson, like Iaquinta, is a rising contender who's just starting to break through into that upper bracket of the division. A win over a vet and perennial top contender like Thomson would move him right into the conversation for #1 contender fight.

 

 

Holm vs Reneau is a fight I didn't even know was happening. I love the sound of it though. Holm won her UFC debut against Raquel Pennington but wasn't able to finish her and the fight got a mixed response. Could've been the old 'octagon jitters' I suppose, this fight should tell us more though because she's up against a tougher opponent in Reneau IMO. Reneau looked very impressive in her last fight with a big submission win over Jessica Andrade. She's a great talker too. At 38 though, she needs big wins and quick. Holm would be a name win. Like this fight a lot. In a division rapidly running out of title challengers, pretty much everyone is just one great performance away from a shot at Rousey.

 

Rest of the card has a few highlights.

 

Alan Jouban is an Eddie Bravo student. Looked awesome in TKOing Richard Walsh in his last fight at UFC 184.

 

Andrade vs Moras could be fun if it's mostly grappling.

 

Jorgensen vs Gamburyan will probably be good. Both guys have seen better days as fighters but it'll still most likely be a decent fight.

 

Rani Yahya is one of my favourite MMA grapplers to watch. Exciting BJJ style, always attacking. His opponent Kanehara has been around the block. He beat Alex Caceres last time out in his UFC debut and he holds wins over KID Yamamoto and Korean Zombie from his days in Japan too.

 

Lyman Good was the first ever Bellator welterweight champion.

 

Plenty to like about that card.

 

Then Saturday 18th July, the UFC finally holds their debut show in Scotland with this lot...

 

 

FOX SPORTS 1 MAIN CARD

Michael Bisping vs Thales Leites

Ross Pearson vs Evan Dunham

Joseph Duffy vs Ivan Jorge

Joanne Calderwood vs Cortney Casey Sanchez

Leon Edwards vs Pawel Pawlak

Stevie Ray vs Leonardo Mafra

 

FOX SPORTS 1 PRELIMS

Paddy Holohan vs Vaughan Lee

Ilir Latifi vs Hans Stringer

Mickael Lebout vs Teemu Packalen

Robert Whiteford vs Paul Redmond

 

FIGHT PASS PRELIMS

Marcus Brimage vs Jimmie Rivera

Daniel Omielanczuk vs Chris De La Rocha

 

Anyone on here going to this?

 

I'm assuming we're getting this live on BT at a decent time like all the UK shows? 8/9pm start. Hopefully it won't end up being on PICK TV on delay.

 

I don't like it quite as much as the Mir vs Duffee card but the main event on this one is better and this is still a solid lineup. I'd definitely go to this if it was a bit closer to Birmingham.

 

 

Bisping vs Leites is a really quality fight. These two are just under that very top of the middleweight division. Bisping's been threatening to get a title shot for years but always falls at the final hurdle. Leites got his shot in 2009 but lost a lopsided decision in an abysmal fight with Anderson Silva. They're both on the right track now though. This fight won't put the winner in title contention - there's a logjam of contenders waiting for Weidman right now including Rockhold, Jacare and Romero. But this fight gives both guys an opportunity to hopefully crack into that group in the nearish future.

 

Should be a fun fight in its own right too. Bisping doesn't do boring fights (unless Tim Kennedy is smothering the fuck out of him) and Leites is on a hot streak at the moment. Leites is 5-0 since returning to the UFC in 2013. He's on a 8 fight win streak overall and has finished his last three opponents. He's in probably the best form of his career right now. He's a better all around MMA fighter these days. More dangerous on the feet and his BJJ is as lethal as ever. Real good fight this.

 

 

Pearson vs Dunham sounds like a barnburner on paper. Pearson's coming off a big KO over Sam Stout, Dunham decisioned Rodrigo Damm in his last fight. Both have had patchy results recently so they should be looking to impress here and show they've still got it in them to make a run at title contention. Probably my pick for FOTN.

 

 

Duffy vs Jorge is interesting just because it involves Joseph Duffy. Who might as well change his name to 'The Last Man To Beat Conor McGregor' because you never hear his name without that being mentioned. There. I've just done it again. Duffy looked great in his UFC debut. Jorge has a decent record but it's a fight I expect Duffy to win without too much bother.

 

 

Completing the main card is Calderwood vs Rawlings. These two actually have a bit of history gojng back to even before they were on TUF. Nothing major just some sniping back and forth online and stuff. Things haven't really worked out as planned for Calderwood, which is a shame as she's one of the more likeable fighters in the division. Hopefully she'll at least get a win here on home soil. I can see this being an exciting fight as well actually. The fact they have history, their fighting styles and the fact it's in Scotland and the crowd will likely be big into it - it should all make for an entertaining main card opener.

 

Undercard is alright. Nothing special. Stevie Ray is a good fighter and should have huge crowd support. Holahan vs Lee stands out as my pick of the prelims though. That should be an excellent fight.

 

Good card. Between the two shows it's a quality week of fights. Melendez vs Iaquinta, Thomson vs Ferguson, Holm vs Reneau, Bisping vs Leites, Pearson vs Dunham, Calderwood vs Rawlings and Holohan vs Lee in particular are all belters on paper.

[METAL ON METAL]

From the two week span of 11th-25th July, UFC have five shows, that's some fucking mental overkill of the market.

[DJM]

From the two week span of 11th-25th July, UFC have five shows, that's some fucking mental overkill of the market.

I noticed that as well when I was looking at the upcoming shows this morning. They have 4 shows in a week from 11th July - 18th July!

[Marshmallo]

I'm heading to the Glasgow show, main card is scheduled to start at 6 so I'm not sure it'll be shown live.

[Ross18]

Heading to the Glasgow show as well. Tickets say 2pm doors. So looks like an early one, so yeah. Not sure it's going to be shown live either.

 

Really looking forward to it. I think it's a pretty solid show. Hopefully the atmosphere can rival the Dublin show and we can convince them to come back. Im sure I read somewhere that there is a solid percentage of sales coming for Brazilians. So should be fun. Will be great seeing Calderwood, Ray and Whiteford fight. Glad they managed to get them all on the card.

 

I also really like the Mir v Duffee card. The 2 lightweight fights will be great and looking forward to seeing Holm again. Hopefully she can put in an impressive performance.

[herbie747]

I love the pre-show blurbs you do, Wand. Much appreciated - it's nice to get up to date info on each fight & feud/background, as well as relevant build up vids.

[wandshogun09]

Cheers herb.

 

Shame we're probably not getting the Scotland show live. Then again, if the main card is starting at 6pm, there's only four fights on the main card, it should be over by around 8ish. BT could possibly air it at 9pm. They probably won't but it'd be nice if they did.

[jimufctna24]

Michael Bisping vs Thales Leites

Ross Pearson vs Evan Dunham

After I saw these 2 fights listed, I thought I had clicked on an old thread from 2010.

 

I take it Matt Hamilll vs Keith Jardine is also on the bill. 

 

 

[Supremo]

I love the pre-show blurbs you do, Wand. Much appreciated - it's nice to get up to date info on each fight & feud/background, as well as relevant build up vids.

Was just going to post the same thing. It's almost impossible to keep up with all the shows and news these days, so wand's write ups are an excellent way to see whether a show is worth watching or not.

 

Cheers wand!